The Last One
by Blessed Eternity
Summary: SasuSaku With the Haruno Geisha House gone, and her family dead, Sakura was nothing but a stoic soul. Sasuke now has to wed the new woman his brother brought home after finding out the woman he fell in love with was sold to another country. Hiatus
1. Haruno Sakura

**The Last One**

_By Blessed Eternity_

Hey! This is going to be a new story. I'm sorry for not updating my other ones, but I've been busy with work lately, so yeah!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 1: Haruno Sakura**

This was where it all began… A few locks of pink hair fell over her eyes whilst the rest of tresses were tied into a perfectly shaped bun. She slowly, yet gracefully pushed the bangs aside from her eyes. The room was filled with smoke that escaped the pipes of wealthy men and women. Sakura slowly shifted around in her seat as she waited for her introduction. After so many painful times of being sold, from one to another, she was sick of fearing who would bid for her with the highest price. She simply saw no point in fearing anymore. She knew everyone was waiting for her name to be called.

"I know you've all been waiting for this prized possession to be bid off," A male announcer spoke loudly. Sakura's eyes remained on her folded hands that were placed on her lap. She'd been sitting behind the tissue paper screen for merely an hour. She was always the last item to be sold off. "The last of the 4 Japan Beauties, from the famous Haruno Geisha House, Haruno Sakura. As of today, she still stands as a virgin."

Sakura stood silently as she walked onto the stage from the screen. There were awes and gasps as some men looked at her with passion filled eyes, and women with their eyes filled with envy. Indeed she was beautiful just like her other 3 sisters had been, before they passed away. She hated how the announcers worded it. The last of the 4 Japan Beauties, from the famous Haruno Geisha House, Haruno Sakura. It may not have been worded exactly the same every time, but they made it sound like she was one of the most wanted geishas ever. But the fact was, she wasn't even a geisha. Her family specialized in the teaching of geisha talents, but yet, they made her seem no different from a geisha.

"Starting bid, 5,000,000 yen!" The announcer began. And so, it seemed to start all over again. As Sakura stood silent, listening to people discussing the high price.

"6,000,000 yen!" A random bidder shouted.

"7,000,000!"

"8,000,000!"

"20,000,000," A broad, masculine voiced calmly. Everyone's eyes roamed over to the man who dressed himself entirely in black attire. Even Sakura was surprised to hear such an outrageous price.

"20,000,000 yen? Going once, going twice, sold! To the gentleman in black," The announcer happily stated. Sakura glanced at the man that bid such a high price for her. He was very handsome. His spiky dark bangs covered the side of his face, while his dark obsidian eyes glanced into her jade lens. His eyes never left her

-----

Right after the bid, Sakura was taken to the widely known Uchiha mansion by carriage. She sat silently across from the man in front of her. After a few minutes, the carriage stopped. He carefully opened the door and offered Sakura a hand to help her out of the carriage. She gracefully accepted and stepped onto the ground with guidance of his hand. She smoothed out her kimono, making sure it didn't ruffle. As they entered the huge household, the man who bought her was greeted with the name, 'Itachi-sama' by the maids. She could see a woman and two men in the room. One of them looked almost exactly like this man named Itachi, but he looked slightly younger.

"Itachi, this is the woman?" One of the males spoke.

"Yes," Itachi replied. Sakura held her stoic face as she followed Itachi deeper into the room so they were closer to what seemed like his family. "Sasuke, this will be your new wife."

Sure she felt like an item when he stated the word _this_ instead of she, but she couldn't help but flinch when she found out she was going to be wedded so soon. She looked up to face the man that was known to be Sasuke. His eyes were filled with outrageous anger. She did nothing more but stand there with nothing to reply.

"Where is she?" Sasuke angrily demanded to know. Itachi turned to his younger brother with a smirk on his face.

"Didn't you say she was merely a servant girl?" Itachi stated slyly. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in anger. Sakura began to wonder who he might've been talking about. "So the rumors were true? You were madly in love with her?"

"Why do you have to take everything that's precious away from me?" Sasuke nearly screamed.

"I'm not doing it intentionally," Itachi remarked.

"He's right. The Uchiha name must not be scarred. No Uchiha could ever marry a servant girl," His father stated.

----------

After the argument in the living room the first day she arrived, she knew she wasn't going to have a good time living here. The wedding was to take place in an hour and Sakura was yet to be ready. She stared down at the traditional wedding kimono that was laid on her bed early in the morning. She sat on the bed beside it, with her fingers trailing the beautifully embroidered textures. The red silk with golden thread made the outfit astonishing. Her eyes landed on the red and white colored fan that looked hand sewed with great craftsmanship. She didn't understand why it was there. Suddenly, a knock appeared on the door. Her eyes darted to the entrance and immediately, she was relieved to see a familiar face.

"Hinata," Sakura quietly greeted.

"Sakura-sama," Hinata replied. Hinata followed Sakura everywhere, ever since the Haruno Geisha House disaster. She didn't care if Sakura didn't belong to the high class anymore. They were friends till the end. "The wedding will begin soon. We must get you ready."

Sakura simply nodded in reply as Hinata began to help Sakura into her wedding kimono.

-----

The wedding ceremony seemed brief and short. But even so, many that attended were part of the Uchiha clan as well. Sakura noticed that everyone wore attire that consisted of the hand sewed fan on their backs. It must've symbolized the Uchiha clan. Soon enough, Sasuke's mother, Mikoto had escorted her back to Sasuke's room. She was told to wait for Sasuke there. She entered the room and took a seat on the floor by the table whilst waiting for her now, so called husband to arrive. Just as she seated herself, Itachi's words replayed in her mind. _Remember, after the ceremony, you'll be a free woman. You won't belong to anyone. But, after you wed, you must do everything the Uchiha mansion requires you to do as the wife of one. _

It was like being a slave and a free woman at the same time. But Sakura didn't care. At the word free, she was already overjoyed on the inside. She wouldn't be sold… Wouldn't be treated as an item any longer…

-----

Night has fallen upon the town of Konoha. Sakura was still seated at the small table, waiting for Sasuke to arrive. She let out a sigh and stared over to the bed. Did she really have to do this? Suddenly, the doors slid open loudly, and Sakura's head turned instantly to see who came in. It was no other than Sasuke, holding a bottle of sake. He held the stench of alcohol as he wobbled his way inside. He was definitely drunk. Sakura stood up and bowed her head as he entered.

"Sasuke-san," Sakura greeted. Sasuke's attention averted to Sakura.

"It was you! Your fault they sent her away!" Sasuke angrily raged. Sakura stared at him for a moment, standing still. He suddenly came charging at her, pushing her against the wall close by. "Why did you have to come along!"

Sakura was terrified. All she could do was stare at him in shock as she began to tremble immensely. With all her strength, she pushed him off her, with him landing on the mattress beside them. She made a run toward the door, with his hand suddenly catching her wrist. She jolted and quickly brushed it off. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. _No… No! _Sakura fidgeted with the door and began to panic. She turned around to see the condition of Sasuke. She was relieved to see that he was drunk enough to fall asleep on the mattress. She panted as she released a soft sigh and headed back to the table. She was definitely not going to sleep on that bed with him tonight.

----------

The sunlight shone through the windows as Sasuke's eyes tightened in the view of light. He finally gave into the light and opened his eyes. They were blurry, probably from all the alcohol he consumed at his wedding. _My wedding…_Sasuke darted up and was met with a sharp throb in his head. He sneered and held his head to relieve the pain. He looked down to himself to realize he was still dressed in his wedding outfit. His eyes traveled around the room to see a pink haired female sleeping soundly on the table. She was also still in her wedding kimono.

He stood up and walked over to her, continuing to hold his head for relieve. He gave her a small kick on the thigh to wake her. Still, she showed no sign of movement. He kicked her again and her eyes fluttered open. Sakura looked up to see Sasuke right in front of her. Suddenly, she remembered what happened last night, and fright took over her body once more. She quickly backed away from him, her back meeting the wall. Sasuke continued to stare at her strangely until he finally received glimpses of what he'd done to her last night. He kneeled down beside her and stared into her eyes. She quickly looked to the side to avoid his gaze.

"You're terrified. How pitiful," Sasuke menacingly remarked. He got up and left the room.

----------

Half an hour later, Sakura found herself sitting in the Uchiha dining room, having breakfast with the family. She was seated next to Sasuke and everyone was just quiet. She took small bites of the rice cake that was on her plate.

"So Sakura, did you have fun last night?" Itachi nastily stated. Sakura's head quickly lifted to face a smirking Itachi. She didn't know how to respond to such a comment. Looking around for help, her eyes landed on Sasuke. He gave her a cold stare, signaling her not to tell them what really happened. She simply gave a nod to Itachi and forced a convincing blush onto her face. Both Mikoto and Fugaku laughed at Sakura's convincing shyness.

"Welcome to the Uchiha family, Sakura," Mikoto smiled. Sakura nodded once again.

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Sakura began to head back to the room she now shared with Sasuke until she heard a voice from behind her.

"Sakura," Itachi stated. Sakura swiftly turned around.

"Itachi-san," Sakura greeted. Itachi walked up to Sakura.

"I know you were lying at the breakfast table," Itachi bluntly stated. Sakura stared at him in shock. "He'll calm down soon. I want you to treat him well."

With his last words said, he turned and walked away.

----------

It was night already, and Sakura was told to prepare Sasuke's towel and night clothing for him to go to the bathhouse. And so she did. As Sasuke entered the room, she held out his neatly folded towel and clothing for him. He gave her a queer look before accepting it and exiting the room. Sakura sighed once more as she took a seat by the table. Hinata joined her and sat across from her, pouring Sakura a cup of tea.

"Thank you Hinata," Sakura affirmed.

"Your welcome, Sakura-sama," Hinata replied.

"Did you make yourself comfortable here yet?" Sakura questioned sweetly. Hinata smiled in reply and shook her head.

"Not yet," Hinata quietly stated. Sakura sighed and took Hinata's hand.

"Me neither. But I don't want the maids to treat you badly. Don't take any orders unless I'm the one giving them. Understood?" Sakura questioned again.

"Hai," Hinata simply responded. Sakura let go of Hinata's hand and stood up.

"Well, at least you have a bed to yourself," Sakura enviously stated. "You could go now. You're dismissed."

Hinata stood up and bowed, slowly finding her way out of the room. Sakura sighed, wondering where she was going to sleep tonight. She walked over to the vanity table and seated herself in front of the mirror. She took the small pins that held her bun together out of her hair so that it fell onto her back. Her pink locks were now wavy, hence holding a tight bun on her head all day. She pulled the pink locks from her back to one side and tied it into a low ponytail. She stood up once more and untied the small obi around her waist. She pulled the first layer of the thin kimono off, revealing a thin white layer underneath that hung loosely over her shoulders. She carefully began to slip off the second layer until she heard a voice that abruptly came from the doorway behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke asked sharply. Sakura froze and quickly pulled the white undergarment over her shoulders to cover her bare back. After holding the layer tightly around her waist, she turned around to greet Sasuke.

"Sasuke-san!" Sakura frantically greeted, afraid for what he saw. "I-I was just changing into my night garments."

"Hn," Sasuke simply replied. "There's a changing screen over there."

Sakura obediently followed his directions and picked up her night garments to go change behind the screen. Sasuke made himself comfortable on the bed and soon Sakura walked out from the screen. She stared at Sasuke on the bed and didn't know what to do next.

"I'll go get the futon," Sakura suggested awkwardly.

"Hn," Sasuke replied. Sakura scurried around the room to look for a futon and finally succeeded when she found it behind the bed frame. She pulled it out and laid it on the floor beside the bed. Just as she was about to go underneath, Sasuke got off the bed and seated himself on the futon.

"Sasuke-san?" Sakura questioned.

"You can have the bed," Sasuke quietly stated. Sakura smiled a bit and did as she was told. She climbed under the sheets and rested her head on the pillow. The room was already dark and just before Sakura closed her eyes to go to sleep, she stated "Arigatou, Sasuke-san."

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Well that was a nice introduction ish? I just wanted to prove that Sasuke wasn't such a mean butthole. The next chapter will maybe have more SasuSaku. If you have any questions, put them into a review! Hahas. Everyone loves reviews.


	2. A Chance to Shine

**The Last One**

_By Blessed Eternity_

Hey! This is going to be a new story. I'm sorry for not updating my other ones, but I've been busy with work lately, so yeah! Also, in this chapter, not all information about geisha items are true, but please just try to cope!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 2: A Chance to Shine **

Sakura stayed seated as Hinata stood behind combing her hair, tying it into a small tight bun. Sakura always held small smiles on her face, and didn't seem to convey much expression. This is how life was for her for the past two years she's spent living in the Uchiha Mansion. Every morning, she would tie her hair up in a bun, and dress herself in a simple kimono that consisted of two layers, and then eat breakfast with the Uchiha family. After that, she would join her mother-in-law, Mikoto and do some embroidery, practice calligraphy and so on. The only people who seemed to care about her in the entire household were Mikoto and Hinata.

-----

Sakura entered the main dining room for breakfast and kneeled beside Sasuke, gently placing her hands on her lap. Even though she's lived here for two years, she always managed to show respect for everyone in the family. Servant girls began to enter the room, holding trays of food. As one of the servant girls placed a bowl of rice in front of Sakura, she intentionally spilled the tea by her food, causing the clear drink to leak onto her kimono.

"So sorry, Sakura-sama!" The maid apologized half-heartedly.

"It's… Fine," Sakura replied quietly as she pulled out a handkerchief to clean her kimono. The servant girl quickly backed away, leaving with the others. She knew the servants hated her for being the reason the servant girl was sent away. This was something she had to deal with everyday. That was why she had Hinata. Sasuke, who was seated beside her simply stared at her pitiful form and continued to eat his breakfast.

----------

Mikoto kneeled on the tatami, watching Sakura dance for her with fans held in her hands. Her face was in a trance of astonishment as the pink haired female gently glides across the mat, flipping the fans and moving her body gracefully in the tight kimono. Sakura swung the fans gently over her head and slightly bent her knees for the finishing pose. Mikoto clapped her hands loudly in approval of the beautiful dance.

"That was wonderful!" Mikoto praised. Sakura smiled and flipped the fans shut. "You learn a lot working in a Geisha House, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Sakura replied.

"That dance was special from the others you showed me," Mikoto pointed out.

"I'm starting to run out of dances to show you, Mikoto-sama. This dance was created by my sister, Ayaka," Sakura replied truthfully. "My other sisters had their own dances as well."

"Really? It was beautiful," Mikoto added. Sakura smiled and tucked the fans up into her sleeves. "Did you ever create your own dance?"

"No. I haven't even perfected my eldest sister's dance yet. And I don't think I'll have the time they had to create my own," Sakura replied.

"Well who says you can't practice here with me?" Mikoto smiled brightly. Sakura stared at Mikoto with eyes filled of hope.

"Really? You would let me?" Sakura stated, her eyes widening.

"Of course! I never said you couldn't. Besides, you better start practicing it soon. Itachi's birthday is coming up and I want you to dance at his ceremony," Mikoto offered.

Sakura stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. She hasn't performed in anything for almost five years now.

"I don't know… I haven't danced for a while," Sakura insecurely avowed.

"You'll do just fine! Besides, you can teach me how to dance too! Oh and your servant girl could join us and we could both join you in the background for the ceremony!" Mikoto excitedly stated, whiling gently clasping her hands together in hope for Sakura's agreement. Sakura smiled at how Mikoto could be so childish and playful. Fugaku was lucky to pick out such a nice lady.

"Well if you say it that way. I'll do it," Sakura agreed, smiling genuinely.

"Yes! I have the perfect kimono that I wore when I was your age. I can't wait! We'll start tomorrow. Tell Hinata she's to leave the house chores to the others and she's going to join us," Mikoto happily stated.

"This sounds like it's going to be lots of fun," Sakura honestly stated. "I'll be looking forward to it."

----------

As she made her way to the bathhouse with her towel and nightgown, Sakura couldn't keep the thought of dancing on stage once more out of her head. To think, she was going to perform again. It excited her to no end. Sakura arrived at the bathhouse to find it emptied. She loved being alone in the warm bathhouse. She found it relaxing. Sakura slipped out of her thin layered kimono and stepped into the water in her naked form. She tied her hair into a sideways ponytail and swayed it to the right side of her shoulder. Sakura grabbed a small towel that laid on top of her larger one and soaked it in the steamy water, then lifting it up to cleanse her skin. She stood up so the water reached up to her abdomen.

The small towel left trails of trickling water along her back, as it reached the long scar that was imprinted from her left shoulder to the back of the right side of her stomach. She turned her head slightly to see the scar still visible from the terrible encounter with the Uchiha servant girls last year. It just struck her last nerve when she walked into the servant girl courtyards to find all the maids forcing Hinata to do all the heavy duty work. With Hinata missing one dirty spot on the ground, she earned a whip lash on the back, with crimson red tainting her maid kimono.

"_What do you think you're doing?" Sakura interrupted urgently as she rushed to cover Hinata with her back facing the torturous maids. Within the second, the whip lash meant for Hinata landed harshly on Sakura's back, with blood immediately seeping through her own casual kimono. Sakura's eyes shut tight, as she tried to withstand the pain. Hinata turned to face Sakura with tear stained eyes from the burning sensation on her own back._

"_S-Sakura-sama!" Hinata shouted frantically. She quickly got up to observe Sakura's harsh cut. She turned around to scold the maids. "Look what you've done!" _

_The maids turned their heads from side to side, feeling a singe of guilt. They quickly dropped the whip and bowed their heads apologetically._

"_Gomen-nasai Sakura-sama!" The maids apologized. _

Sakura wiped the memory out of her mind, continuing to think about the good outcomes of her act of saving Hinata. The maid that whip lashed her was definitely fired after Mikoto accidentally found the scars on Hinata's back when accidentally walking in on Hinata while she applied ointment to her wounds. Sakura was lucky enough to have left Hinata's room just before Mikoto entered. If Mikoto walked in a few minutes earlier, she would've found Sakura pulling her kimono on over the scar on her back. If Mikoto found out about Sakura's one scar, all the maids would've had hell to pay and that probably meant worse for Hinata. It was probably because ever since Sakura stepped foot into the Uchiha household, she's had an eye out for her, as if Sakura was her own daughter. She knew people wouldn't have accepted her into the family.

-----------

Sakura earnestly entered Mikoto's private room with Hinata behind her, holding the long three stringed shamisen wrapped in a silky black cloth, and Sakura herself holding a long velvety box. Mikoto was settled by the small table at the very end of the room, pouring three servings of tea. Sakura quickly settled herself beside Mikoto, gently placing the velvet box at the other end of the table. Hinata gave a quick bow of greetings toward Mikoto and seated herself next to Sakura, placing the shamisen aside.

"Mikoto-sama, I brought some equipment you might want to tend to," Sakura stated as she reached for the shamisen. Mikoto's face excited at the sight of the wrapped shamisen.

"Open it, Sakura! I want to see it!" Mikoto excitedly exclaimed. Sakura smiled at her impatience and handed the cover cloth to Hinata. The shamisen was beautiful. The black painted wood shined from the polished wax on the sleek neck of the instrument. Sakura's hands traveled to touch the cat skinned surface below the neck, then fingers trailing to touch the hardened silk strings. A golden flower design was painted from front to the back of the instrument. "Wow, it's amazing… I've never seen one of these up close."

"It's one of Japan's finest," Sakura informed with a smile. "It was a gift to my older sister, Misaki from my mother."

"No wonder," Mikoto stared in awe. Suddenly, her gaze landed upon the huge velvet box. "What's in here?"

Sakura opened the box gently, revealing messily arranged variety of geisha equipment. Mikoto picked up several genuine objects and looked at them carefully.

"This is just some stuff I've collected over my years as a geisha teacher and for living in an okiya," Sakura explained. Hinata picked up a few familiar objects from the variety in front of them herself to observe. "It's just basically the make-up, the fans, and some other training material."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" Mikoto rushed. Sakura giggled softly seeing how excited her mother-in-law was for starting practice. Just as Sakura was about to stand for the start of practice, Hinata's sudden stuttering caught both Sakura and Mikoto's full attention.

"S-Sakura-sama!" Hinata's eyes widened in shock.

"What is it Hinata?" Sakura questioned in curiosity. Sakura's eyes traveled to the opened velvet box that Hinata's finger pointed to. Her eyes widened just as Hinata's did a moment ago. Mikoto sat confused, staring at the two, wondering what the big deal was, until Sakura picked up a tube that was covered within a white piece of tissue paper. The end of the tissue paper was torn, revealing a crystal like, white and greenish stem sticking out.

"What is it Sakura?" Mikoto asked eagerly.

"It's my flute…" Sakura replied, as her eyes suddenly began to water. She quickly tore off the tissue paper, revealing the full form of the precious flute that was completely made of rare, white stoned jade. Sakura's fingers trailed down the many holes carved down the center of the smooth, thin tube. The end of the tube had a carved floral design, painted with a rich layer of expensive golden paint that was identical to the one on her sister's shamisen.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Mikoto questioned in concern, seeing Sakura at the verge of releasing tears.

"I'm fine!" Sakura suddenly stated, wiping away her tears of what seemed like joy.

"This was Sakura-sama's inheritance gift from her mother," Hinata softly informed.

"Just as my oldest sister received a shamisen, I received this flute from my mother. Just as my 2nd eldest sister, Umeko received a pair of beautiful dancing fans, with its handles made of a rare syrupy golden colored maple sap, and the interior of the fan painted with the same special Haruno design, and my 3rd sister, Ayaka received a crimson red kimono of silk, embroidered with the same design, except the golden threads are made of real gold," Sakura explained deeply. "I thought for sure I'd lost this when I was departing from the okiya and the only thing I saved from the debt claimers was my sister's shamisen!"

"I'm really happy for you Sakura," Mikoto smiled. "Why don't you play us something?"

Sakura was just a bit too caught up in her overwhelmed joy to refuse. She nodded cooperatively and held the flute horizontally, with the first hole gently pressed against her lips.

----------

Sasuke took a seat on the bench beside his clumsy friend as they decided to take a rest from their sparring match. The messily blonde headed man beside Sasuke sighed in relief as he gulped down the cup of fresh water.

"That match was intense! You almost beat me for once," Naruto boasted.

"Hn," muttered in reply. He took the second cup of water from the tray placed on the edge of the wooden floor board outside the Uchiha dojo.

"Teme, my father's hosting a party tomorrow night because he lost to me in a bet! I'm designated to invite as many people as I possibly can so he'll go broke before you know it! That shows him for stealing money from my pouches," Naruto evilly sneered. He let out a small snicker at the thought of his long, white haired father cried in agony at the loss of his money.

"You do know you're losing your own money by doing this," Sasuke implied casually. Naruto gave Sasuke a look of utter shock and tried to hide his embarrassing situation by trying to randomly change the subject.

"Do you hear that?" Naruto questioned as he perked up his ears.

"Hear what?" Sasuke replied.

"That pretty sound!" Naruto whispered hastily. Sasuke closed his eyes as the sound Naruto was talking about finally flowed gently through his ears. "What is it?"

"It's the sound of a flute," Sasuke replied, listening more intensely. Indeed the soft sounds that escaped the flute captured Sasuke's full attention, soothing him, almost even mesmerizing him.

"It sounds… So sad and pretty…" Naruto complimented, at the same time closing his own eyes. Sasuke who sat beside him listened for more until he realized the flute player had stopped. A smile appeared on his face from the soothing sweet melody. "Aw, it stopped."

"Hn," Sasuke stated as well. "So what about the party?"

"Oh, yeah bring Sakura-chan with you. The more the merrier," Naruto informed. Sasuke nodded, followed by a sigh. He really preferred not to bring his wife, but he found no excuse not to bring her. "Oh right, you guys aren't really lovey dovey."

"How do I not bring her?" Sasuke sighed in frustration.

"Just tell her it's a guy thing," Naruto stated with simplicity.

"That's so cliché and lame at the same time," Sasuke replied. He released a sigh once more before finally deciding not to take his pink haired wife. He's had enough of seeing her everyday and night. "I guess that'll do."

-----

After a long day of training with Sasuke, Naruto was finally on his way out of the Uchiha estate when a certain female caught his attention. His eyes beamed with joy as he ran to greet the female that held pearl pupils.

"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed loudly. He finally stopped right in front of her and held her petite hands into his, causing her cheeks to flush.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted timidly.

"My father's hosting a party tomorrow night and I want you to come!" Naruto's eyes beamed with hope for Hinata to say yes. Unsure of what to say, Hinata gave a slight nod of agreement. "Yes! Well I'll see you tomorrow then! Wear a nice kimono!"

"Hai!" Hinata shouted as Naruto had already ran half way toward the exit. Hinata smiled to see the man she's fallen so deeply in love with disappear into the scenery. Ever since she moved to the Uchiha estate to join Sakura, she's constantly been seeing Naruto and the two of them just had sparks flying between them. He loved the way she always blushed when he said something no one else found funny and she always loved the way he made lame jokes he knew no one would laugh to. But nothing serious has happened between the two puppy lovers just yet. She didn't want anyone to find out about their relationship if they were ever going to have one. It would be bad for the Uzumaki reputation and she didn't want Naruto to end up like Sasuke. So it was best to hide the secret even from her very own, lovely Sakura.

-----

Hinata walked into Sakura's room nervously holding a tray of fresh green tea. Sakura walked over to the small table and signaled Hinata to sit across from her.

"Sakura-sama," Hinata nervously began.

"What is it Hinata?" Sakura questioned.

"I-I have a friend who's hosting a party tomorrow night… I was wondering if maybe I could borrow a kimono…" Hinata stuttered awkwardly.

"Hinata, you know I'd say yes. Don't be so nervous around me," Sakura smiled gently at Hinata to ease her density.

"Arigatou, Sakura-sama!" Hinata thanked joyfully.

"Let's go pick one out right now," Sakura suggested. Hinata nodded and followed Sakura to a small shoji doorway that led to a walk in closet. "The ones on this side all of Uchiha crests, so pick from this side."

Hinata did as she was told box after box, Hinata went through many beautiful silky kimonos, still not finding the right one. Sakura knew Hinata wouldn't be comfortable choosing her own, afraid it'd be too expensive, or too simple for Sakura's liking.

"How about this one?" Sakura pulled down a white kimono that held hand sewed shimmering indigo flowers on the sleeves and the bottom corner. Hinata's eyes widened at the sight of such beautiful material.

"It's perfect," Hinata complied. Sakura smiled once again and handed Hinata the box.

"Well have fun tomorrow night," Sakura genuinely affirmed.

"Sakura-sama, if you're not doing anything, would you like to come with me?" Hinata offered. Sakura smiled slyly.

"Well of course! It's settled. Tomorrow, we'll be equal women. You won't have to follow me around and I'll get to go wherever!" Sakura expressed.

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Second chapter was 'kinda' long ish? I'm sorry if the descriptions are a bit exaggerated and stuff, but I did my best! Leave a review to inspire me! Hahas, well Happy 4th of July Everyone! 


	3. Formal Gathering

**The Last One**

_By Blessed Eternity_

Thanks for the reviews in the last chapter, my fellow reviewers! I still acknowledge my silent readers, since it still adds clicks or whatever to my story! I still appreciate it that you're reading it! So what'd you guys do on 4th of July? Hahas, I played DDR with my friends until 4 AM! Gosh I can't believe how tired I am right now.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 3: The Formal Gathering**

Sakura sat by the small table with two boxes atop of it. Both held an expensive kimono worth thousands. One which she would be wearing herself and the other she would be lending to Hinata for the party only hours away. Only moments later did Hinata enter the room.

"Sakura-sama," Hinata greeted. Sakura moved her hand, gesturing Hinata to come to the table. She did as she was told and kneeled across Sakura.

"This one's for you," Sakura handed Hinata one of the large boxes. "I want to do your hair today."

"N-no, Sakura-sama! That's inappropriate!" Hinata frantically waved her hands sideways.

"Non-sense, Hinata! Come, let's get started. We have so little time!" Sakura stood on her feet and Hinata sighed, easily giving in, knowing she won't win the little battle. She felt awkward when she took Sakura's seat in front of the vanity desk, and when Sakura used her own brush to stroke Hinata's short length hair. Sakura looked sharply at Hinata's hair, wondering what she could do with it at such a length.

"Well, I have ideas of what I could do with your hair," Sakura whispered among herself. She carefully examined the shape of her head and the length of her bangs, and so on. "This is going to be difficult, but it should work."

It wasn't until about half an hour later that Sakura was finished. Sakura placed a small, white porcelain pin with lavender flowers painted on, onto Hinata's hair to hold back her bangs, and clasped her hands together in satisfaction.

"It's been so long since I did anyone's hair, it just makes me feel so fulfilled," Sakura stated. Hinata stared at her reflection and gently patted the bottom of her hair to test its security. It took Sakura quite some time to gather all the short hair and place it on the back of Hinata's head. It was nicely held up with a golden pin.

"Arigatou, Sakura-sama. Would you like me to do your hair?" Hinata offered softly.

"That would be great," Sakura stated. She replaced Hinata, seating herself in front of the vanity desk, and Hinata herself.

----------

The time to leave the Uchiha mansion would be soon, and Sakura was yet to be completely ready. In fact, she wasn't ready at all. All that was done was her hair that was finished about an hour ago. She was helping Hinata into her kimono and tying her obi. Sakura only had two layers of undergarments on.

"Are you sure you don't need any help, Sakura-sama?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes, you may go," Sakura stated, as Hinata bowed and left the room. Sakura walked over to the full length mirror, seeing she was still only dressed in two layers. She sighed, thinking only ten more to go. At this very moment, Sasuke suddenly walked into the room only dressed in a pair of black hakama. Sakura's eyes traveled to his muscular chest and toned body. Even though it wasn't her first time seeing it, it was still captivating.

"Where are you going?" Sakura questioned.

"A formal event for men," Sasuke casually stated. Sakura looked over to the bed, noticing his kimono spread neatly across the mattress. She wondered how she didn't notice it until now.

"Oh," Sakura smiled. She pulled on another layer of the kimono over her shoulders and tied a thin waist belt around herself, taking notice of Sasuke's stare.

"What about you?" Sasuke interrogated.

"A formal event with Hinata," Sakura truthfully told. She continued to pile the layers of the kimono on whilst Sasuke did the same with his. Sakura finally picked up her obi and pulled it around her waist. One fold after another, without seeing how it looked, Sakura continued to struggle tying it up. Sasuke glanced at her struggling form.

"Do you need help?" Sasuke offered. Sakura turned around to face him. She nodded as he sauntered towards her. She turned around for him so he could help her with the final piece that held together the kimono. His hands traveled to the obi and untied the confusing knot Sakura made and began to retie it himself. His hands slid around her waist, still holding the heavy piece, wrapping it gently behind her back. After much difficulty, he finished tying the obi, and tugged on it, making sure it was tight. Without informing Sakura, he walked over to his own kimono and continued to dress himself. Sakura turned around to find Sasuke already departed from her area.

"Arigatou, Sasuke-san," Sakura thanked graciously. She walked over to the vanity desk and began to apply her make up. She picked up a pinkish stained brush and opened a small wooden box filled with red liquidated lipstick, slowly dipping the brush with red and spreading it across her healthy plump lips. She looked in the mirror, making sure it was the right shape and put the brush down, closing the box of red lipstick.

"I'm leaving," Sasuke avowed.

"Have fun," Sakura stated as Sasuke walked towards the door, sliding it open slowly.

"You too," He replied in a naked tone. Sakura stood up to admire herself in the full length mirror. She realized how long it's been since she actually dressed up for anything. The slender black silk kimono was decorated with silver lining and white flowers below the waist line. This was one of the only kimonos she owned that didn't hold the Uchiha crest. She thought about how shameful it would be for the wife of an Uchiha heir, not to hold any Uchiha crests at a formal event. So Sakura quickly pranced over to the vanity desk, opening a box of hair pins, grabbing the one Mikoto gave her recently. It was a small clip that could simply be placed anywhere on her hair, so she placed it in front of the bun, showing the small shiny Uchiha fan. A voice appeared from behind the shoji a moment later.

"Sakura-sama, the carriage you prepared is here," Hinata's voice faintly stated. Sakura put on her pair of geta and left the room. As they headed toward the exit of the Uchiha mansion, Sakura began to think about Sasuke. He could be so gentle at times, yet he could be a violent beast if denied. She decided she liked the gentle side a lot more.

----------

The Uzumaki estate was certainly not as fancy and glorious as the Uchiha mansion, but it had a homely touch added to it. The spacious room made especially for events was filled with people known by Sasuke himself. Sasuke stepped into the room, walking over to Naruto and his white headed father. It's true, Naruto was his adopted son, but Jiraiya treated him like a son of his own, as he promised Naruto's real father he would take care of him.

"Oi! Sasuke-teme, you're here early!" Naruto greeted casually, with his hands folded behind his head.

"Hn," Sasuke replied. Jiraiya approached the two young boys and a smile took hold of his face.

"So Sasuke, how's training going at the dojo? Is Naruto using any of the techniques I taught him?" Jiraiya interrogated. Naruto's face turned pale, while Sasuke caught the clue and lied instantly.

"Of course. He almost beat me," Sasuke smirked. Jiraiya laughed out loud proudly, followed by Sasuke's small chuckle of amusement. What techniques could have been so terrible that Naruto himself wouldn't use them? I mean, Naruto wasn't the brightest kid on the planet. If you told him anything, he would believe you.

"That's good to hear! My son's taking on my sexy techniques," Jiraiya faked a tear and wiped off the imaginary object. Sasuke shuddered slightly at the thought of Naruto trying to seduce him. He felt anger boiling in him as he thought of what Jiraiya must think of Sasuke now. "Now, now, Sasuke, every man falls for seduction."

"Sasuke, just ignore him. Let's go get some sake!" Naruto proclaimed. Sasuke nodded in agreement as they headed for the main table where all close relatives and friends of the host sat. "We're going to have a professional geisha playing the shamisen for us tonight! It's going to be my first time seeing one live!"

"It's just a regular woman masked with white, plucking strings. What's so exciting about that?" Sasuke reasoned.

"It's easy for you to say! You've probably been watching them all your life! This is my first time here," Naruto defended himself. Sasuke took in all the sake from his small cup and gulped it down. "Hey, hey take it easy. You're going to be here all night! Don't get yourself drunk yet."

"It takes more than that to get me drunk," Sasuke stated briefly. Naruto stared at him for a moment and thought about the last time Sasuke did get drunk. It was the night of his wedding with Sakura. He scratched the thoughts out of his head as he saw Hinata entering the main hall. He quickly got up and waved his hand noticeably.

"Hinata!" Naruto screamed for attention. Hinata's head jerked toward him, and she quickly began to walk toward him. He ran over to her and took hold of her small hands.

"Naruto-san," Hinata greeted. Naruto's grin widened.

"Hinata, you look so pretty! The kimono looks great on you," Naruto commented. Hinata's cheeks turned a slight red as she looked away to avoid his gaze.

"Arigatou Naruto-san, you look nice also," Hinata replied.

Sasuke was still seated at the main table, drinking sake. He didn't even know why he agreed to attend the stupid party anyway. He knew he would've ended up sitting by himself, drinking by himself, thinking by himself. Everyone's eyes rolled to face Jiraiya who was currently standing on stage waiting for the attention of others. Naruto joined Sasuke shortly after noticing Jiraiya as well.

"The geisha is here!" Naruto happily whispered. Sasuke rolled his eyes in disgust as Naruto continued to wait for Jiraiya to start.

"Welcome, friends and family. Tonight, we have a special performance by Ms. Tenten, on the shamisen," Jiraiya introduced loudly. He then backed off the stage platform and allowed the brunette female with chocolate colored eyes to gracefully prance onto stage, holding her instrument as well. She plucked one string to start off the music. After that, a few more came, and then they turned to professional strums as her fingers began to travel up and down the neck of the shamisen, the tips of her finger pressing down onto the strings, making high notes and low notes. Everyone stayed silent as they watched the wonderful performance. Her plectrum glided from string to string as she hit her last note, and the room began to fill with polite applause. She stood up and bowed to her audience, leaving the stage. Naruto's eyes were wide and beaming with stars after seeing his first geisha performance.

"Sasuke, wasn't that wonderful?" Naruto stated, almost close to tears.

"I've seen better," Sasuke bluntly spat. Naruto ignored his rude comment as Ms. Tenten made her way to the crowd of people to join the small party. Sasuke sat at the table almost all night long, knowing there would be nothing else to do but to drink sake. He was almost at the state of being close to drunk when Naruto pulled up off his chair and made him join everyone for a dance of Japanese folk song. He reluctantly joined the group as he saw familiar faces of old friends surrounding him.

"Ah, it's Sasuke," A hazy voice stated as he stepped closer.

"Hn, Shikamaru," Sasuke greeted. A male dressed in a dark green kimono, escorted by the geisha who performed earlier joined the group as well.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke dully stated.

"Uchiha," He replied with the same tone.

"Isn't it nice, seeing everyone together for once?" Naruto proposed. Everyone turned their attention to the pearl eyed female that suddenly walked by. "Oi, Hinata!"

"Naruto-san, what is it?" Hinata turned to face the blonde.

"I want you to meet some people," Naruto stated, pulling her closer to everyone else. She blushed a bit and bowed her head in greeting. "That's Shikamaru, there's Chouji over there by the table, and there's Shino and Kiba over there with my father, this is Ms. Tenten and Neji."

Hinata's eyes perked a bit upward at the name Neji. Her eyes darted upwards, facing the male that shared the same eyes as her own. He stared down at her, with a bit of confusion on his face.

"N-Neji-san!" Hinata stated as her heart began to beat fast. He looked quite surprised to see his long lost cousin at a formal party like this one as well.

"Hinata…_sama_.." Neji whispered. The last part of his words went unnoticed.

"Ah, so you guys know each other!" Naruto happily shouted. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dance!"

As Neji brushed pass Hinata, he looked down to her frail face and whispered, "We'll talk later.." She flinched a bit, but continued to walk and dance with Naruto. But when Naruto noticed something terribly wrong, he walked over to Sasuke, pulling him away from the crowd.

"What is it?" Sasuke impatiently questioned.

"I thought you said Sakura-chan isn't coming," Naruto stated in confusion as he pointed over to the main table where Sakura was greeting Jiraiya. Sasuke's eyes widened a bit, not sure of what to do next, seeing that she was already heading their way.

"I didn't know," Sasuke simply stated. To be honest, he didn't really care. He knew she wouldn't question him about this anyways. Sakura approached Hinata as they both stared into the direction of Sasuke and Naruto.

"I thought he was at a formal event for men," Sakura whispered. Hinata stared at Sakura and nodded in agreement to what Sakura was thinking.

"I was quite surprised to see him here too," Hinata replied. Sakura began to travel around, wondering what interesting events might behold her until she spotted an old friend. She gasped a bit in surprise as her feet brought her to the beloved female.

"Tenten," Sakura stated in a bit of relief. Tenten turned around, sharing the same expression Sakura held on her face just a moment ago.

"S-Sakura-san!" Tenten wordlessly replied. She took Sakura's hands and held them in her own, completing forgetting about her escort. "I-I'm so glad you're okay!"

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Wow, I realized I've had this document in my computer for so long and it's been untouched. Lols, since it was 6 pages I just decided to post it.


	4. Sweet Melody

**The Last One**

_By Blessed Eternity_

My summer vacation is almost over and I cannot believe I haven't updated more often. I guess I was just having my fun. Lols, but now that my friends are off to college, I guess I'll try my best to update as much as I can. I said I'll try!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 4: Sweet Melody**

It's been a long night, and yet Sakura still was still at the gathering. It was probably about time she got back. She looked around to see if she could spot Sasuke, knowing it would probably be better if she got home before him. Then, she saw him sitting with Naruto and the rest of his friends. She sighed and decided to take a nice, long peaceful walk home.

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Sasuke stayed seated at the table, drinking sake with Naruto and the others. Hinata was along side with him, sticking to him like glue. After all, she didn't know much others there. Then, he turned around, feeling a gaze on him. Fortunately, he caught site of his rose haired wife leaving. Something just told him in his mind that he should've followed her. It didn't look like there was a carriage outside, waiting for her.

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Sakura pulled her kimono up a bit to make walking easier for her. She's always hated wearing kimonos. She decided to push the thought out of her head, and enjoy the crisp air the night provided for her. She took a deep breath and continued her way home on the bumpy road. Her sandals made clucking sounds as she walked down the empty road. It was a bit chilly that night, but her layered kimono kept her warm enough not to tremble.

"Hey there, you look like a nice lady," a voice appeared from behind Sakura. She stopped, frozen at her tracks. Slowly, she turned around to see an alcoholic holding a bottle of sake. She decided that it would be best if she ignored him and continued walking. "How much?"

At this comment, she couldn't help but lose some temper.

"Excuse me?" She retorted.

"How much for a night?" He nastily smirked.

"I'm married," Sakura hastily stated. She continued to walk up the road until she felt a hand grip her shoulder hard.

"Hey, don't make this complicated. It's better you do as I say," The smell of cheap alcohol filled Sakura's air. She turned around, pushing his hand away from her shoulder. What should she do? He wasn't going to just let her walk off like that and she knew it. Her heart prayed to kami to keep her safe tonight. There wasn't really anything else she could've done. She tried once more in attempt to walk away from the drunken maniac. But this time, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to the smelly drunk.

"Ah! Let me go!" She screamed. She turned around, putting all her strength into her fist, throwing a punch at his face. His head fell backwards a bit, but other than that, all she did was get him mad. "Help! Help me!"

"I told you not to make this complicated, you baka!" The man screamed. She gave his chest a powerful push, causing him to let go of her. She had to make a run for it, but her dam pair of geta wouldn't allow her to go far. Plus, her kimono kept her legs bind and she could only move her feet so slowly. She heard his footsteps approaching her, and suddenly, she felt a push on her back causing her to land hard on the dirt. She could see his sneaky face, and his smelly body, slowly lurking over to hers. She had nothing more she could've done.

"Hey," A deep, stoic voice stated. It was familiar and immediately, Sakura already knew who it was. "Get away from her."

The drunk turned around, with anger clearly shown on his face.

"What are you going to do about it?" He stated. The raven hair reflected a color of blue off from the moonlight. Sakura stared at him, happy to see him for almost the first time in her life. She pushed herself off the ground as he drew his katana.

"If I have to, I'll kill you," Sasuke sternly declared. Sakura quickly ran behind Sasuke, shielding herself from him. By now, her hair was already messed up, with clumps of dirt and dried leaves stuck on the surface. Her kimono was quite dirty with grass stains, and a small tear near the bottom. She held the side of Sasuke's sleeve slightly, still showing a sign of fear. The man carelessly pulled out a small dagger, charging toward Sasuke. With an effortless block of the small dagger with his katana, the man tried once more, aiming for Sasuke's stomach. This time, Sasuke didn't care. With the slightest strength, he slit the wrist of the man that held the dagger. "Let's go."

Sakura cautiously nodded, turning to see that the man had fallen on the floor, his dagger dropped. He looked pitiful.

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Sakura took a seat at the table of her room, across from Sasuke. She poured him a cup of tea. Sasuke willingly took the small porcelain cup and gulped down the slightly flavored liquid. Silence wasn't very golden at the moment. In fact, someone had to say something to stop the awkwardness. Sakura knew Sasuke rarely spoke to her, but this, he had to say at least something. Perhaps he was angry. She decided to break the silence, and start the conversation.

"G-Gomen," Sakura stated softly. Sasuke looked up from his state of trance, to his wife. She'd long been cleaned up and dressed in her night attire, whilst Sasuke was still in his kimono.

"For what?" He solemnly questioned. That was a good question. What was she sorry for? It's not like she did anything wrong. The words that should've come out of her mouth were supposed to be thank you.

"For causing you trouble," Sakura unsurely stated.

"Believe me, it was nothing," Sasuke replied. Sakura looked at him with her serious emerald orbs.

"Well, then arigatou," Sakura thanked. She didn't know what else she could've done.

"It was nothing," Sasuke repeated, whilst at the same moment, both of them stood. Sakura walked over to the futon and pulled off a layer of her kimono swinging it over the changing screen. Sasuke then approached her, pulling off his own less layered kimono, throwing it onto the bed to reveal his once again half naked skin. Sakura's cheeks were tinted red, as she looked away. Sasuke approached the drawers and grabbed a towel, indicating that he was going to go for a shower. He left the room without consent or anymore spoken words. As he opened the door, Hinata entered the room, bowing her head to his presence before he missed her. He nodded as she continued to approach Sakura.

"Sakura-sama, why did you depart so early?" Hinata questioned with concern.

"I just thought it would be better if I arrived home before Sasuke," Sakura answered. She thought about the terrible encounter on how they met up in the road and shook her head, deciding against telling the already concerned Hinata. She was still dressed in her formal lavender kimono. It was one of Sakura's favorites, among the others that she took with her from the okiya.

"I'm glad you arrived home safely," Hinata stated in a bit of relief.

"Well, I think you're tired. You should go get some rest," Sakura suggested.

"Hai, Sakura-sama," Hinata stated. "Oh, I have to return these."

Hinata pulled the pins off her hair and handed them to Sakura.

"As for the kimono, I'll return it to you cleaned," Hinata stated, bowing her head before exiting the room. "Have a good rest."

Sakura walked over to her wardrobe and began to dig around her mounts of yukata for the item she was looking for. She pulled out her jaded flute and closed the wardrobe in satisfaction. Her hands delicately traced the floral designs as she once again began to reminisce the memories she held in the okiya she grew up in, with her sisters. Sure they teased her most, but she still loved them with all her heart. Carefully positioning the flute before her lips, she held it horizontally with her hands covering the holes.

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Sasuke pulled the wet towel away from his warmed head, as he stood up from the baths, preparing himself to go. He pulled on his pair of hakama and began to walk back to his room. Suddenly, a familiar sound softly entered his ears. It was the same flute melody he'd heard just yesterday after training. He stopped for a moment, just to listen to the tune. Then he tried to follow its source. He didn't know where it was coming from, but he was walking the same route as he did to his own room. It wasn't long until he stood before the shoji, and vigorously slid them open. The flute player instantly stopped, with the flute still in her hands.

"Sakura?" Sasuke questioned quite shocked.

"Sasuke-san," She greeted, with a shocked expression held on her face. "You surprised me."

She pulled the flute away from her lips and placed it on the table carefully. Sasuke stayed in the same position, still holding the shoji doors, still staring at his wife in confusion. He slowly took a seat across from her, as if he was waiting for her to explain to him why she was playing the flute. She read him like a book and yet she didn't know where to begin.

"It was a gift from my mother," Sakura stated, avoiding the stuttering in her voice. "I learned it when I was a child."

"Aa," Sasuke replied. After two years of living with her, he grew quite fond of seeing her everyday. He eventually stopped his cold attitude toward everyone and became Sasuke again. But he never thought about questioning her backgrounds or anything she dealt with in the past. "How is she now?"

Sakura looked up at him in utter shock. How could he not have known about the Haruno Geisha House disaster? Did his family tell him nothing about Sakura before they were wedded? She didn't know how to respond.

"She passed away," Sakura simply stated. She wanted to avoid the subject. She didn't want to cry again for this subject of matter.

"Oh. Gomen," Sasuke replied. "What about your family?"

"They're gone too," Sakura replied softly. She looked toward the ground, not wanting to make eye contact. "Hinata is all I have."

"Gomen," He repeated. She stood from the table and approached the bed.

"Good night," Sakura stated quietly before pulling the covers over her body. Sasuke felt a bit of regret for reminding her of her past. But really, he had no idea. Sure he wondered why she never bothered to ask for permission to visit her family, but he never knew she didn't have a family. He hasn't seen Sakura act so strange since the first few weeks she arrived in the Uchiha mansion.

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It was the middle of the night and Sakura kneeled beside the small table in her room. No candles were lit, and Sasuke was still in bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought about her past. The day was so tragic. It was all her father's fault. She hated him. Even so, he was the only family she had left. He was still somewhere out there. If it wasn't for his insane addiction to gambling, the debt claimers never would've gone that far to set the Geisha House on fire. Her mother and her sisters would still be alive. She would still live in the okiya. She pulled her sleeve over her mouth and nose to prevent any sounds that would be loud enough to wake her husband. But to her dismay, she heard a shuffling sound by her bed. She stayed silent, trying to stop her harsh breathing.

"Sakura," Sasuke mumbled sleepily. She quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes and poured herself a cup of tea and gulp it down to clear her voice.

"I couldn't sleep. I needed a drink. Gomen," Sakura confirmed. She quickly headed back to bed, not wanting to answer any unnecessary questions. She sat on the futon, ready to get back to sleep. Suddenly, she felt a breathe of warm air on her neck. Her body tensed up unwillingly, knowing that Sasuke was right behind her. His hand reached up to her face, with his thumb lightly wiping the tears. "S-Sasuke-san."

"Go back to sleep," He stated, backing away to his side of the bed.

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It was morning. With the sun, shining its rays into the room, Sakura opened her eyes quickly, moving around the bed. She realized it was empty, leaving her with more space than ever. She quickly threw her whole body to the middle of the bed for more comfort. She sighed and closed her eyes again, recalling what happened last night. She could actually say that that was the most intimate physical contact they've ever been in. It was quite sad, but it was true. She didn't know why he did it, but somehow, it calmed her. She squirmed around on the bed, squeezing her eyes shut from the powerful sunlight. She threw the covers over her head and tried to go back to sleep.

"Comfortable?" A deep husky voice questioned. Her eyes shot open once more. Sakura looked around the room and found Sasuke sitting at the table, sipping tea. She got up from the bed and went to the wardrobe, pulling out a loose yukata to wear for the day.

"Good morning, Sasuke-san," Sakura greeted. She went behind the changing screens to change into her yukata.

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"Ohayo Sakura-chan," Mikoto greeted sweetly. Sakura and Sasuke entered the dining room for breakfast in unison.

"Ohayo, Mikoto-sama, Fugaku-sama," Sakura greeted.

"Hn," Was the best reply Fugaku can give.

"Ohayo, Sasuke!" Mikoto stated as well.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san," Sasuke stated. This was how breakfast was everyday. Sasuke and Sakura seated themselves just as Itachi entered the room.

"Ohayo," Itachi stated. Everyone replied to him. "Sasuke, there's someone outside whose waiting to see you."

"Who?" Sasuke questioned bitterly.

"Your sensei," Itachi stated with a smirk.

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Hehe, who is this sensei? Well I'm a slow updater so I hope you enjoyed this rather strange chapter. It slowly progresses over time so yeah.


	5. Tenten San

**The Last One**

_By Blessed Eternity_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 5: Tenten-san**

After breakfast ended shortly, Sakura followed Sasuke into the training area where his sensei was supposedly waiting for Sasuke's arrival. As Sasuke and Sakura made their way to the slightly distant area, Sasuke clutched his katana tightly.

"You should really just go back to our room," Sasuke stated.

"I have nothing better to do," Sakura shrugged.

"Hn, take this," Sasuke stated, halting suddenly. He turned around, grabbing Sakura's right hand roughly, secretly sliding a short metal object up her sleeve. She instinctively accepted the gift, not sure as of why Sasuke gave it to her in the first place. They arrived at the Uchiha training grounds shortly to find the doors to the dojo opened. Sakura can make out a figure of a man with long black hair standing by the doorway. She followed the Uchiha closely, precautious of what would happen.

"What kind of man is he?" Sakura softly whispered.

"A dangerous one," Sasuke simply replied. She nodded as they approached the dojo. Then, she could see his face clearly. Purple lines were clearly marked on his eyelids, and his skin was white as snow. He held a sneaky look, with the deadly stare of his golden eyes.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, it's been a long time hasn't it," The sannin spoke.

"Hn," Was all Sasuke could reply.

"And you brought, I presume, Mrs. Uchiha?" His snaky voice sounded. Sakura looked up and gave a small bow in greeted. "What a beautiful young lady."

"Arigatou," Sakura stated.

"She has manners as well, young Sasuke-kun. You could learn something from this young lady," The man teased.

"What do you want Orochimaru," Sasuke bluntly stated. The man simply leaned against the edge of the door with his arms folded.

"Is that really the way you want to address your sensei?" Orochimaru questioned, sarcastically hinting sorrow in his voice.

"You're not my sensei," Sasuke corrected.

"Ah, let me correct that. Your former sensei," Orochimaru avowed.

"Well get to the point. What are you here for," Sasuke solemnly stated. Sakura continued to stare at the two men's secret argument.

"I see you forgot about that favor you owed me," Orochimaru snickered. His eyes glanced at Sakura for a moment before quickly returning to Sasuke. "I might have an idea of what I want now."

"Come back when you make up your mind," Sasuke rudely demanded. He turned around to leave, with Sakura following. Suddenly, a massive grip held onto Sakura's wrist, turning her around. She let out a small gasp before feeling a light brush of fingertips under her chin. The snake sannin was face to face with her, his eyes penetrating her own.

"I won't forget you Sakura-chan," Orochimaru slyly vowed. He smiled and brushed pass Sakura, following the path to the exit of the Uchiha mansion. Sakura stood in shock for a moment, and suddenly came back to reality. She took small steps out of the dojo, heading toward Mikoto's practice room. She slid open the doors to the small practice room, greeting by small hands tugging her to enter the room.

"Sakura-chan, you're late!" Mikoto shouted as Sakura troubled herself from being unable to balance herself from the impact of Mikoto's pull.

"Gomen, Mikoto-sama," Sakura apologized sincerely.

"Well, what are we waiting for? I've bought you the perfect kimono for Itachi's event! I want you to try it on. Hinata's waiting for you by the accessories over there," Mikoto urged, giving Sakura a light push toward the pale eyed servant girl.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm horrified to say that it has been over a year since I updated. I had to reread my whole story and I realized how horrible my writing was just one year earlier. OO Well I'm continuing the story now, 12/3/07 and that top portion was probably written a year ago but never completed. I don't really like it, but I'm going to keep it there anyway. **Please try to ignore the sudden difference or change in writing style that may be conveyed in the future chapters. I've completely forgotten my research about geishas and kimonos so I probably won't be using the correct Japanese terms anymore. Also, the characters personalities are highly likely to change because of this one year absence. I also apologize for this chapter being so short because it was an unfinished passage from last year that I meant to update but never did. **


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